Bulk solids, such as biomass, are notoriously difficult to feed reliably. Auger feeder systems tend to form holes where material is removed in the vicinity of the auger but bridges above the hole, preventing feeding. Bin feeder systems tend to bridge at the outlet of the bin, preventing the material from feeding out of the bottom of the bin.
Current biomass analytical sample analysis equipment requires manual feeding of biomass into the mill, requiring a large amount of labor. Systems to automatically feed biomass samples are unable to handle a variety of biomass materials or to feed reliably.
The ability to reliably and consistently feed biomass material into a subsequent process is also a major problem with biomass processing, particularly where herbaceous biomass is to be used. Herbaceous biomass tends to be stringy and fluffy, resulting in difficulty in maintaining continuous feeding.